What to Pack for a Paleo/Whole 30 Picnic

Summer was made for picnics, and everything that comes with it—gingham dresses, citronella candles, and that perfect sunset magic hour. Sadly, the end of summer is fast approaching! There are certainly a few things left on my bucket list that I'm still hoping to accomplish... more picnicking is definitely one of those things.

As we've been following a mostly paleo lifestyle, it can be tricky to find alternatives for picnic staples like sandwiches and crackers. But I've tried a few new things this summer! Out of my attempts, I've settled on a go-to collection of grain-free picnic options.

Menu Ideas

• An easy favorite is to replace sandwich bread with lettuce wraps. The ingredients for the sandwich can stay nearly the same, just swap the bread for a leaf of iceberg lettuce or romaine hearts.

• For a picnic, a glass of wine is a classic choice. However, if you're interested in trying something different, a cucumber cooler can be the perfect alternative. Simply blend together a cucumber (peeled partially), juice from one lime, 1/3 cup of honey (or sweetener of choice), 3 cups of ice, and 1/2 cup of water. It blends together in a pretty, frothy iced drink!

• Salads make a great outdoor dinner, and they're easy to prepare ahead of time.

• I recently discovered eggplant sandwiches, and they changed my picnic basket. Just slice the eggplant and bake it, then use it in place of sandwich bread.

Daily Devotional with First5

For years, I've struggled to be consistent with a daily "quiet time" or devotional. Somehow, I can't seem to make just a few minutes with the Lord a priority. There are plenty of other things I do each day...

check Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest...

drink coffee...

cook dinner...

shower, get dressed, and put on makeup...

and yet somehow I often neglect to read the Word and pray for even a few moments of the day.
Recently, I discovered First5, an iPhone app that has worked wonders in my devotional consistency. Each day, I wake up to a five-minute devotional, short prayer, and thought for the day. The Scripture for the day is included right in with the reading, so everything I need is right on my iPhone.

Probably the biggest reason I have been consistent with this is because it is not intimidating. It's so easy to get overwhelmed by the idea of a 30-minute time with the Lord—particularly on days that begin first thing in the morning. Five minutes, though? That sounds doable. And for the past several weeks, it has been!

Each daily reading includes a pretty image of the main thought of the devotional. It's always an encouragement to be consistent with something when it's pretty!

Another part of this app that I love is the built-in alarm clock. You can set your alarms for each day of the week, and slide to the daily devotional reading first thing in the morning. While I would ideally like to spend more time than this in the Word, it is a great habit to get me started!

You can download the app here... for free!

This Week's Meal Plan

The mister and I have been following a mostly Paleo diet. We do eat dairy, but otherwise stay fairly close to the Paleo guidelines of no grains, sugar, corn, beans, or legumes. It might not be a diet that we follow forever, but right now it's a fun way to cook! I have noticed my skin has improved, and the mister and I both have better digestion.

Each week (because I love my calendar and planning), I schedule dinners for each night. My go-to grocery spot is Aldi—their deals are unbeatable, and their selection is getting better and better for Paleo and Whole 30 folks!

Mostly, my meal ideas come from Pinterest. I also cook a lot of recipes from Danielle Walker's Against All Grain cookbook, which is fabulous.

Monday

Turkey Burgers (the Kirkwood brand at Aldi is Paleo-friendly!) & Portobello Mushroom "Buns"
Sweet Potato Fries
Cucumber Cooler

Tuesday

Crockpot Eggplant Lasagna (I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it looks amazing... and it cooks in a crockpot!)
Meatballs

Wednesday

Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps
Toppings: Avocado, Salsa, Cauliflower Rice

Thursday

Cod with Mustard Sauce (this mustard sauce came from a Norwegian cookbook—it's simply melted butter and mustard drizzled over the baked cod filet)
Sautéed Kale

Capsule Wardrobe Goals

By now, it feels like everyone has heard of the capsule wardrobe concept. For a while now, I have been skeptical. Wouldn't a limited wardrobe get boring and mundane? One of my hobbies is thrift store shopping. Would I have to give up those amazing finds, like $3.00 brand-name dresses?

My perspective changed when I saw this post by Emily at Jones Design Company. Although her blog post isn't actually about a capsule wardrobe, she does a lovely job of creating ensembles around a similar color palette. 

Right away, my eye was drawn to Emily's navy, grey, and white theme. Most of the capsule wardrobes I've seen use black as a base. As a fair-skinned redhead, I do like black... but feel most comfortable in navy and grey. All these outfits feel so easy to wear and versatile.

Emily's 8 summer outfits got me thinking... maybe the capsule wardrobe concept has its benefits after all. Perhaps I spend too much time deciding what to wear, and struggling to put together the scattered color schemes in my closet. Maybe I just need permission to wear my favorite things over and over again.

As I started thinking about this more, I realized that I haven't repeated one specific outfit this entire summer. Surely I can narrow down my options and wear just my favorite things again and again! The thought of being comfortable in everything I own is so appealing.

This week, I plan to capsulize my wardrobe. First step: consider what pieces are my favorites, determine a color palette, and think through the essential closet items. Next: purge all the extra with ThredUp.

So far, I'm at the recently-convinced-to-give-it-a-try step. Next week, I hope to have a cleaner closet, and a little more mental space.

House Tour

After living here a year, our apartment is starting to feel more and more like home. Although the mister did a great job with his bachelor pad, it was still just that: a bachelor pad. With some cleaning, rearranging, decorating, and DIY projects, we're getting closer to a place that we both love. It holds books, maps, and flags (thanks to the mister), and curtains, candles, and pretty pillows (thanks to me).

When you first come in the door, the living room is on your right. This picture is taken from the doorway.

That little loveseat/settee on the far right is one of my first significant DIY projects. I purchased the piece on Craigslist for a great deal, but wasn't completely happy with the chocolate brown and orange floral fabric. So I painted the upholstery! It turned out great, and feels like soft leather. I also painted the wood on the chair and sofa. The upholstery is in great condition, but the wood was quite orange and distracting. So antiqued white it became!

On the wall above the desk, I hung two wedding photos. The dark wood hutch on the right is from my grandmother-in-law. It holds old books and a pretty white ironstone soup tureen from my mother. The cotton on the side table is signature Southern decor. The desk, also from my mom, is my regular study place (preferably with the door open and my pumpkin soufflé candle burning!).

 As you stand in the doorway, the dining room is on the left. I'm hoping to do some work in this room still. My latest addition is the two Parsons chairs on the ends ($14 on Craigslist!). 

This photo of the kitchen is also taken from the doorway. It's plenty large enough for the two of us, and I love that I can stand at the sink and look out the living room windows. 

The mister and I are serious coffee and tea drinkers, so this little station is used every day.

The dried craspedia (billy balls) in the main bathroom are from our wedding. My mother-in-law embroidered the art in the four little frames.

Our bedroom is cozy and bright. The bed frame was handmade by the mister's grandfather. The monogrammed sheets, quilt, and decorative pillow were all wedding gifts from family.

My favorite part of the master bath is that our grey-blue shower curtain perfectly coordinates with the grey-blue in my preserved bridal crown. The bath towels are almost the same pattern and color as our bedspread.

There is one more bedroom that we currently use as a library/music room. It has seen very little of my influence, so I didn't include it. Eventually, it'll probably become a nursery which means I could do one of my favorite things: rearrange! Until then, I ought to devote a weekend to freshen it up.

So there you have it! A photo tour of our little apartment.